Disclaimer – I do not own the Naruto franchise or its original story and plot. But we'll see about that…goes off to do some telemarketing scheme for buying-out-Naruto-franchise money
Pre-note: I've decided to set a time for this series of events. I'm going to try to fit it in between Naruto I and II, before they become Jonin. I'm not too familiar with the plot of Naruto II, so I consulted with wikipedia regarding the events that take place in between.
I feel that pre-Jonin is a good time to fit this, because the village has the most hope for bringing Sasuke back, and Sai isn't there yet to get in the way of Ino and Shino's interesting relationship. Well, enjoy!
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"Although Septempunctata saffronica is a social species, there are behavioural differences based on the gender with which an individual is communicating. A male yellow ladybug will show two polar opposite behaviours towards a prospective female alone compared to other males alone, or even in groups containing males and females." – Mating Rituals of S. saffronica
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I get up from bed later than usual today. Today is a short training day for Team Kurenai, in preparation for the Jonin Exams. I am to meet up with Kiba and Hinata at 12pm.
This will be my first time taking them, and I don't intend on failing. If not for Kankuro's forfeit causing me to fail the Chunin exams, I'd probably be a Jonin now. I do not let that fact get to me, because I'm very confident in my skills, and in my Kikaichu.
I enter the kitchen, and my parents seem to have already left. After eating some fruit and a sandwich, I decide that I will stop by the shop to check on the saffronica. I could admit that I have ulterior motives to my visit, but it's nothing more than possibly a quick greeting to the Yamanaka girl before I start training again. I'm rather intrigued that she doesn't mention anything about the "fall". I digress, however, and I'm already late. It's 11:45, and the distance from my house to the training grounds is insufferable when one just gets out of bed.
Out of my house, I get onto the street and begin walking to the flower shop. Thankfully, it's en route to the training grounds, so I can squeeze in a small amount of time before I meet up with the others. I'm not sure whether or not I should talk to the others about what happened yesterday.
I'm not one to really open up to them, since it's always Hinata who depends on me for being an open ear to her girly problems. She's a great friend to have, and I definitely trust her to keep a secret. Kiba on the other hand, will probably laugh at me about this sort of situation. His dog, Akamaru, will also follow suit. But I know his weak spots, especially those for a certain white-eyed Hyuuga girl. He's too ashamed to admit to anything, but as one of his closest friends, I can definitely pick up on the subtleties. It makes for good blackmail in any case.
Considering the possibilities, it's probably best that I tell neither of them about my goings-on for now.
A few minutes pass, and I'm outside the door of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. There's a sign on the door, "Open Weekdays 9am-9pm." I reach out for the door with a bit of hesitation, and my mind is in "try to think of a way of saying hi without sounding like I'm trying too hard" mode. My hand makes contact with the door. Dammit, this shouldn't be too hard. It's only Ino. Besides, I'm just visiting the, well, two. I should probably give them names, but now's not the time, I gotta push the door to get in and suddenly get back into that difficult place. At that moment, I realize it's impossible, it's like my world comes to a complete halt, and I can't make my way through.
The sign on the door says, "pull".
Right. I knew that. Thankfully nobody outside notices me, and casually, I pull on the handle to make my way in. The shop seems empty. The counter with the cash register on it is unattended. Good. Nobody saw me. I'm not usually this clumsy, but lately, it's been acting up more often than I'd like. It doesn't bother me, what I'm here for is to check up on the ladybugs.
I look around, and I see an older man tending to a pot of dandelions by the corner. He looks young, but the blanched roots of his hair speak of his years of experience. I reason that he's Ino's father, so I approach him with a bit of caution.
"Excuse me, are you by any chance, Ino's father?"
The man looks back. His hair is a dirtied hue of blonde, not as neat and groomed like Ino's, but long enough to notice a hereditary resemblance to conclude his paternal association.
"Yes, I am," he says with a calm voice, "but if you're looking for her, today's her day off. She's with her teammates Choji and Shikamaru for their upcoming Jonin exam. You must be Shino. She told me about the new "residents". They're over there by the gardenias. You can count on Ino to look after them. But for today, if you need anything, just let me know."
"Thanks. I'll be on my way then."
I can't say that I'm disappointed that she's not here, but the sight of the two yellow Konohans chasing each other through the floral arrangements more than makes up for it. The sooner I complete this mission, the more time for me to train for the Jonin test. I take a few notes about today's courtship, and head on out towards the training grounds. It's 11:54; I think I'll make it in time.
Too bad I didn't see her though, I really don't see the harm in saying a quick hi and good luck to her training. Knowing that she's taking her exam too, I can think of different topics to discuss while I'm at the shop tending to the saffronica. Weapon selection. Jutsu styles. Clan techniques. These things fill my mind with some sort of hope that maybe I could spark some civilized conversation without me looking any bit foolish.
But is she that type of girl to talk so seriously about her shinobi lifestyle? She's definitely one of the strongest kunoichi in our graduating class, perhaps as strong as Hinata. From watching her battle with Sakura during the first Chunin exam, I had the impression that she was definitely serious about striving to be the best kunoichi, so there is hope in that sort of common ground.
I mean, I don't mean that I want to be the strongest kunoichi (1)too, but rather, the strongest bug-user. I'll take the risk of pushing towards that goal, but it seems for the moment that it is impossible to so.
The sign on the door says, "pull".
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I arrive at the designated meeting point. It's a lesser-known outdoor training facility constructed long before I was born, probably during the times of my dad's generation. It's a bit worn out, and thanks to the sound invasion a long while back, it looks a lot older than it really is. I breathe in the air of spring. It reeks of dog urine. Kiba and Akamaru are nearby. I'm embarrassed to admit my familiarity with such scents, but being around Kiba for as long as I can remember enables those sorts of acquired immunities.
He's always early for training, since it coincides with Akamaru's morning walk. Hinata is usually with them, and is genuinely affectionate towards Akamaru. That means I'm always the last one there. I never arrive too late, but unlike people like Kakashi-sensei, my arrival is usually fashionable and comes with justifiable reasons.
"I was chasing my shadow." Kakashi said. The trio fell in unison upon hearing yet another one of their sensei's pathetic remarks.
It's not that I don't take him seriously, he's a very strong Sharingan user, and I respect his abilities. It's just the quirkiness that bothers me somehow. The kind that, in a way, rivals even Gai-sensei. It's no wonder when they're around each other, there's always some sort of waterfall-sparkling-in-the-background-while-Gai-declares-his-springtime-of-youth jutsu involved. It's so embarrassing. Of all the rookie-nine leaders, only Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei act normally. As such, their pupils are also the most normal.
Ino's the first normal girl that comes to mind.
I put down my bag, and head towards Kiba and Hinata. I give a brief hello for the morning, which is routine for me. I listen to Kiba and Hinata's lunchtime banter, which reminds me of the mindless talk shows that mom always has on in the background while folding laundry. I keep my distance, trying to avoid any sort of suspicion.
Kurenai-sensei arrives, and is a bit perkier than usual. If the glare of the afternoon sun didn't get in the way, I could have sworn she was slightly blushing.
Slightly distracted by something else, she just tells us to do our routine exercises. This means a 5-kilometre run, followed by personal training regimens that suit our abilities.
Shouldn't be too hard. I'm usually the one who finishes the run first. The trick is to occupy your thoughts while you let the time needlessly pass by. This time around, I should finish relatively quickly, considering there's a lot of new things to think about.
Making sure the kikaichu are fed.
I develop a brisk pace jogging. Despite being a poor sprinter, my stamina isn't too bad.
The saffronica.
At 1 km, I pass the flower shop again. I can't distract myself, I need to keep jogging, even if it means leaving Kiba and Hinata way behind in my tracks.
Figuring out ways to speed up the courting process.
At 2 km, I pass a bridge where Naruto and Sakura usually hang out before Kakashi is routinely late. Of course, they're there, sans Kakashi. Poor Naruto and Sakura.
Getting stronger for the Jonin Exam.
At 3 km, I pass the ramen shop. Team Gai is having lunch. Quite a showcase of "the springtime of youth."
My growing interest in Ino.
At 4 km, I'm definitely distracted by my previous train of thought and slow down. I decide to think of other things.
Figuring out ways to speed up the courting process.
5 km. Turns out, the more I think, the faster time goes, and the faster I jog. I'm back at the training grounds, and Kurenai-sensei is contently waiting for our return. She's lying down on the grass looking at clouds. She turns around and sees me arrive.
"You're back sooner than I expected. Good." She compliments.
A brief moment of contemplation passes by, and the only thing I can respond is a short "thanks." I'm not really that good with compliments, so I usually end up keeping my mouth shut. I appreciate the thought though.
"Why don't you sit down and wait for the others?" She offers.
"Sure."
I casually sit down at a spot beside Kurenai-sensei, but not too close. There's a bit of an awkward silence. I don't usually have a lot of these alone moments with Kurenai, and usually, she'll break the silence by asking about my training. She doesn't show as much interest in Kiba or me as she does Hinata, since it's in our best interests that Hinata be a suitable heiress to the Hyuuga lineage.
Nonetheless, I simply join her cloud watching. It's more boring than Shikamaru makes it out to be. However, it does provide the calmness that lets me put away all the things in my head that came up during my jog. There are moments when you're free to avoid the big issues.
"Seems like you have something on your mind." She remarks.
Then again, there are moments where you aren't.
"No. It's nothing," I reply, in the best stoic tone of voice that I can muster at the moment.
"Really, there's something. I can see it in your eyes," She replies with a wink.
"I'm wearing sunglasses. How's that even possible?" I question.
"You can't be a team leader and not notice the subtle details about your students, you know."
She certainly has a point. She has a way of noticing things. However, she also has a way of seeing things that aren't really there. So I test her if she's actually onto me.
"How so?" I question.
"Simple," Kurenai-sensei says, "You finished your jog way too early for nothing to be on your mind. That's the way you are. Now tell me, what's bothering you?"
As expected from the great genjutsu specialist. There's a reason why she's capable of training us for reconnaissance. Somehow, she can see things from miles away.
"Perhaps you can tell me." I respond nonchalantly. I'm enjoying tickling Kurenai-sensei's curiosity, maybe a little too much.
"You're at that age, Shino," She decides, "where you're beginning to see things a different way. Gai-sensei would call it the 'springtime of youth.' It's natural for people your age. You begin to notice what, or more importantly, who, makes you aware of yourself."
"Heh," I scoff, "impressive."
There's a bit of a silence between the two of us. I turn my head away from her and stare at the sky defiantly. I tried to look cool and mysterious, but the sudden disappearance of all the clouds utterly ruined the moment.
"Shino," she explains, now smiling with the same giddiness from earlier, "girls are a complicated species. Be glad you have a sexy big sister to confide in. You can't rely on your mysteriousness and stoic nature alone to attract girls. You have to push their buttons the right way. I'll teach you something now, and more things in the future, but you have to do me a favour in return."
I guess I can trust her. She knows what she's talking about, aside from the disturbing "sexy big sister" part. It's not like I can turn back and pretend this conversation didn't happen.
"Ok." I respond, trying not to grin more than I need to, just enough to show agreement.
"So," she says, all of a sudden dropping her voice to a much more alluring tone, "do you really want to know the secret of getting girls to want you?"
Along with her seductive voice, she's now using some sort of illusion to create a sensual background, like in harem anime, where there's sexy saxophone music, a desperate twinkle in her eyes, and for some reason the camera slow pans down towards her ample chest.
I'm getting very hot and bothered. She's good at genjutsu, but this is just ridiculous. I can't resist her regardless, so I respond with a heavily sighed "yes…"
"Do you want to say the words that drive a girl wild…" she asks, with a major moaning emphasis on 'wild'.
"Hell yes."
"Then what you do…" she explains,
"…is you approach her like this.." she demonstrates,
uh huh…
"…and move your head towards her like this…"
yeah…
"…and you begin to talk softly into her ear like this…"
holy crap…
"…and you say…"
oh my god, tell me what I want to hear…
"…Become mine. I'll rock you senseless…" (2)
HUH?!? I immediately snap out of her softcore genjutsu technique. How perverted! There's no way a girl would buy into that!
She starts to laugh hysterically. Sweat drips from the side of my head. I wipe off the beads by brushing my face across my collar.
"Now that was something, ne!" She laughs, "man, I really needed to get that out of my system!"
"OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM?!" I rage. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TRYING TO DO!??!"
"I was just teasing you, Shino-kun," she innocently replies, "but don't worry. I'll help you out starting tomorrow. Just continue your training for today when Kiba and Hinata arrive."
There's a bit of a problem with that remark. I let out an even deeper sigh of humiliation as I point over Kurenai-hentai's shoulder. She turns around and lets out a similar sigh.
Kiba is staring blankly, jaw dropped, and Hinata is twiddling her fingers violently, with the darkest hue of red on her face.
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Author's Notes
(1) Just in case, for those of you who don't know, kunoichi is the term for a female ninja. Shino lies, instead of wanting to be the love interest of Ino, he really wants to be a cross-dressing shinobi, but is obviously in denial :D
(2) This quote is from episode 4 of Sumomo mo momo mo. I really suggest you guys watch it. It's the funniest thing in the world.
LOL! don't ask me what I was on when I wrote the Kurenai dialogue. I'm very proud of the Kurenai that I made, it's a bit OOC, but she really does like being the "sexy big sister", so I went with it. Maybe there's a little more "sexy" than "sister", but I don't mind! XD Stay tuned for another chapter! R&R while you wait!